Industry Safety

Health Care

For health workers in acute care, continuing care, and home and community care sectors, the hazards are diverse. They range from driving hazards in visiting home-care clients, to the many ergonomic challenges that come with the requirement to lift and transfer patients, to needle sticks and other biological hazards, and many more.

The health care and social services sector has the highest number of workplace injuries in Nova Scotia. In 2015, there were 1,680 lost-time injuries. That represents 34 per cent of all lost-time injuries in the province.

Knowing that a strong, safe and healthy workforce is an organization’s most valuable resource, health employers need workplace health and safety programs that do everything possible to prevent workplace injury; and if an injury does occur, to return injured workers to work in a safe and timely manner.

The WCB is working very closely with industry leaders to help reduce the impact of injury in the sector through the Safe Lift and Transfers program with a number of major healthcare facilities. Long-term care administrators can view Safe Resident Handling Program resources.

AWARE-NS, the industry voice for workplace safety in Health and Social Services, offers a number of resources, education tools, and information to help reduce the impact of injury. Learn how to stay safe.